Sealed compressor unit assembly



Oct. 5, 1965 R. s. SAUBER 3,209,991

SEALED COMPRESSOR UNIT ASSEMBLY Filed D60- 16, 1963 K IO \ 24 Fig. 2.

WITNESSES;

INVENTOR yp/fl/ Stuart Souber 457 7 W 3M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,209,991 SEALED COMPRESSOR UNIT ASSEMBLY Rudolph Stuart Sauber, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 330,678 6 Claims. (Cl. 230-202) This invention relates, generally, to sealed compressor units and, more particularly, to the assembly of the compressor discharge line and connecting tube to the shell which encloses the compressor.

In a sealed compressor unit for a refrigerating system it is necessary to connect the discharge side of the compressor to the refrigerating system by a line which must pass through the enclosing shell for the unit and which must be capable of withstanding a relatively high pressure. The line must be hermetically sealed around the opening where it passes through the shell. The present manner of making the connection has certain disadvantages. Two brazed joints are made in a short length of tube. If proper brazing techniques are not used, the tube may be burned and leaks caused. Also, if the tube connecting the compressor to the system breaks, the break is usually close to the shell which makes it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to repair due to the already excessive burning of the tube at the shell.

An object of this invention, generally stated, is to over come the foregoing disadvantages.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide for furnace brazing the joint between the compressor discharge tube and the system connector tube for a refrigeration system.

Another object of the invention is to reinforce the tubes where they pass through the compressor unit shell.

A further object of the invention is to facilitate the assembling of a sealed compressor unit for a refrigerating system.

Other objects of the invention will be explained fully hereinafter or will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, one end of the discharge tube from the compressor for a refrigerating system extends inside a portion of the system connector tube and is furnace brazed directly to the connector tube. The end of the connector tube containing the end of the discharge tube is expanded and flared outwardly to fill the hole in the shell for the sealed compressor unit through which the tube extends from inside the shell. The diameter of the hole is considerably greater than the outside diameter of the main portion of the connector tube, thereby facilitating the insertion of the tube through the hole from inside the shell when the compressor unit is installed in the shell. The expanded portion of the connector tube is brazed to the shell around the hole, thereby sealing the joint.

For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view, in side elevation, of an enclosed compressor unit, a portion of the enclosing shell being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a view, in end elevation, of the compressor unit, the end head of the shell being removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view, mostly in section along the line IIIIII in FIG. 2, of the joint between the discharge tube and the connector tube; and

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, of a modification of the joint between the tubes.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the compressor unit shown therein comprises a 3,269,991 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 "ice shell 10 having an end head 11 inside of which are disposed a compressor 12, a motor 13, an intake mufller 14 and an exhaust mufller 15. The compressor 12 is driven by the motor 13 through an eccentric 16 and a connecting rod 17. The compressor, the motor and the mufllers are mounted on a frame 18 which is resiliently supported in the shell 10 by three springs 19 spaced substantially apart around the inside of the shell 10.

The refrigerant for the refrigerating system enters the intake mufiler 14 through a connection which may be of the usual type, flows from the intake mufiier to the compressor 12 through a pipe 21, is compressed by the compressor and then flows to the exhaust mufller 15 through a pipe 22. The compressed refrigerant flows from the exhaust mufller 15 through a discharge tube 23 and a connector tube 24 to the refrigerating system (not shown) from which it returns to the intake mufller, thereby completing the cycle. As explained hereinbefore, the line which carries the compressed refrigerant must be capable of withstanding a relatively high pressure. As also explained hereinbefore, in the past trouble has been experienced with the joint in the line where it passes through the shell 10.

In order to overcome the difiiculties experienced with prior connections, the joint shown in FIG. 3 has been devised. As shown, the end of the discharge tube 23 enters a portion of the connector tube 24 and is preferably oven brazed directly to the connector tube. In order to facilitate passing the connector tube 24 through a hole in the shell 10 from the inside of the shell, a hole 25 is provided which is of a considerably greater diameter than the outside diameter of the portion of the connector tube 24 to which the discharge tube 23 is secured. The connector tube 24 has an expanded portion 26 with a flared end 27 disposed on the inside of the shell 10 when the expanded portion 26 extends through the hole 25. Thus, the outward movement of the tube 24 through the hole 25 is limited by the flared end 27. The expanded portion 26 is preferably brazed or otherwise secured to the shell 10 around the hole 25, thereby providing a hermetically sealed joint between the tube 24 and the shell 10.

As also shown in FIG. 3, clearance 28 is provided between the expanded portion 26 of the tube 24 and the discharge tube 23, thereby permitting limited lateral movement of the tube 23 .to reduce breakage of the tube inside the shell 10. In view of the overlap between the discharge tube 23 and the connector tube 24, any breakage of the connector tube 24 will occur beyond the overlapping portions. Thus, suflicient length of the tube 24 will be available for repairing the break in case one should occur.

In order to provide for testing the compressor unit prior to its installation in the refrigerating system, the outer end of the connector tube 24 may be squeezed together and soldered to close the end to withstand the pressure developed by the compressor. When the compressor unit is installed in the refrigerating system, the sealed end of the tube 24 is removed by breaking off the end of the tube at a scored portion 29, thereby permitting the tube 24 to be connected into the refrigerating system by a connection of the usual type.

In the modification shown in FIG. 4, a separate sleeve 31, having an expanded portion 32 with a flared end 33, is secured to the connector tube 24 instead of expanding the end of the connector tube in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The sleeve 31, the tube 24 and the discharge tube 23 are preferably oven brazed directly together prior to the installation of the compressor in the shell 10. When the compressor is installed in the shell, the tube 24 and the sleeve 31 are passed through the opening 25 until the flared portion 33 engages the inside of the shell 10. The expanded portion 32 of the sleeve 31 is then brazed to the shell around the hole as shown. The clearance 28 provided between the expanded portion 32 and the tubes permits limited transverse movement of the tubes inside the shell as hereinbefore explained. The sleeve 31 maybe composed of .a metal which is more readily expandible than the metal of which the tube 24 is composed. In this manner, weakening of the tube 24 'by expanding it is precluded. As previously explained, breakage of the tube 24 near the joint is prevented by the overlapping between the tubes 23 and 24.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the invention provides a line for connecting a compressor to a refrigerating system which is capable of withstanding a relatively high pressure. Since the joint between the two connecting tubes may be oven brazed, only one hand brazed joint is made at the compressor shell. Breakage of the dsicharge tube inside the shell is precluded by permitting limited movement of the tube relative to the enlarged portion of the connector tube which surrounds the discharge tube. Any breakage of the connector tube outside the shell will occur at a point beyond the overlap between the discharge tube and the connector tube, thereby leaving a sufficient amount of the connector tube available for making repairs if necessary. The enlarged opening provided in the shell which encloses the compressor facilitates the insertion of the end of the connector tube through the opening when the compressor is being installed in the shell.

Since numerous changes may be made in the abovedescribed construction and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all subject matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A compressor unit for a refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a shell enclosing the compressor, a discharge tube from the compressor, a connector tube for connecting said discharge tube to said system, one end of the discharge tube extending inside a portion of the connector tube and being rigidly secured in sealed relation thereto, said shell having a hole therethrough of a greater diameter than the outside diameter of the main portion of the connector tube, said connector tube having an expanded portion to provide clearance between the discharge tube and the expanded portion, and said expanded portion extending through said hole and being secured to the shell around the hole.

2. A compressor unit for a refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a shell enclosing the compressor, a discharge tube from the compressor, a connector tube for connecting said discharge tube to said system, one end of the discharge tube extending inside a portion of the connector tube and being brazed in sealed relation directly to the connector tube, said shell having a hole therethrough of greater diameter than the outside diameter of the portion of the connector tube to which the discharge tube is brazed, an expanded portion on .the connector tube providing clearance between the discharge tube and the expanded portion, and said expanded portion extending through said hole and being brazed to the shell around said hole.

3. A compressor unit for a refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a shell enclosing the compressor, a discharge tube from the compressor, a connector tube for connecting said discharge tube to said system, one end of the discharge tube extending inside a portion of the connector tube and being brazed in sealed relation directly to the connector tube, said shell having a hole therethrough of greater diameter than the outside diameter of the portion of the connector tube to which the discharge tube is brazed, the end of the connector tube being expanded and flared outwardly to provide clearance between the discharge tube and the end of the connector tube, and said expanded end extending through said hole from inside the shell and being brazed to the shell around said hole.

4. A compressor unit for a refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a shell enclosing the compressor, a discharge tube from the compressor, a connector tube for connecting said discharge tube to said system, one end of the discharge tube extending inside a portion of the connector .tube and being oven brazed in sealed relation directly to the connector tube, said shell having a hole therethrough of greater diameter than the outside diameter of the portion of the connector tube .to which the discharge tube is brazed, said connector tube having an expanded portion with an outwardly flared end providing clearance between the discharge tube and the expanded portion, said expanded portion extending through said hole with the flared end disposed inside the shell, and said expanded portion being brazed to the shell around said hole.

5. A compressor unit for a refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a shell enclosing the compressor, a discharge tube from the compressor, a connector tube for connecting said discharge tube to said system, one end of the discharge tube extending inside a portion of the connector tube, a sleeve surrounding the outside of the connector tube, said discharge tube and said connector tube and said sleeve being oven brazed together in sealed relation, said sleeve having an expanded portion providing clearance between the tubes and the expanded portion, said shell having a hole therein through which the expanded portion extends, and said expanded portion being brazed .to the shell around said hole.

6. A compressor unit for a refrigerating system comprising a compressor, .a shell enclosing the compressor, a discharge tube from the compressor, a connector tube for connecting said discharge tube to said system, one end of the discharge tube extending inside a portion of the connector tube, a sleeve surrounding the outside of the connector tube, said discharge tube and said connector tube and said sleeve being oven brazedtogether in sealed relation, said sleeve having an expanded portion with an outwardly flared end providing clearance between the tubes and the expanded portion, said shell having a hole therein through which the expanded por tion extends with the flared end disposed on the inside of the shell, and said expanded portion being brazed to the shell around said hole.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,285,754 6/42 Money 23058 2,306,608 12/42 Habacker 230-139 2,764,427 9/56 Andrus 285-158 X DONLEY J. STOCKING, PrimaryExaminer.

ROBERT M. WALKER, Examiner. 

1. A COMPRESSOR UNIT FOR A REFRIGERTATING SYSTEM COMPRISING A COMPRESSOR, A SHELL ENCLOSING THE COMPRESSOR, A DISCHARGE TUBE FROM THE COMPRESSOR, A CONNECTOR TUBE FOR CONNECTING SAID DISCHARGE TUBE TO SAID SYSTEM, ONE END OF THE DISCHARGE TUBE EXTENDING INSIDE A PORTION OF THE CONNECTOR TUBE AND BEING RIGIDLY SECURED IN SEALED RELATION THERETO, SAID SHELL HAVING A HOLE THERETHROUGH OF A GREATER DIAMETER THAN THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THE MAIN PORTION OF THE CONNECTOR TUBE, SAID CONNECTOR TUBE HAVING AN EXPANEDE PORTION OT PROVIDE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE DISCHARGE TUBE AND THE EXPANEDE PORTION, AND SAID EXPANDED PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOLE AND BEING SECURED TO THE SHELL AROUND THE HOLE. 